Length: 7 Days. Group educational tours to Cairo, Egypt and the River Nile for 12 or more students or adults. Self-designed custom tours typically led by teachers of high school juniors and seniors.
Highlights: Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Camel Ride, Papyrus Workshop, Temple of Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Edfu Temple, Queen Hatshepsut’s Mortuary Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, Agha Khan Mausoleum, Felucca Ride, Memphis
Itinerary: Cairo (2), Nile Cruise (4), Cairo (1)
Day 1 – Depart USA - Egypt
Depart on your flight to Cairo, Egypt.
Day 2 – Cairo
Arrive and transfer with assistance to your hotel in Cairo, a sprawling urban landscape with striking views of the ancient pyramids on the horizon.
Day 3 – Cairo
This morning, proceed with your local guide to the Pyramids of Giza, the sole remaining Wonder of the Ancient World. The Great Pyramid of Khufu was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years and is estimated to contain 2.3 million stone blocks. See the imposing Sphinx and take in the magnitude of these remarkable architectural feats from the back of a camel, the most reliable form of desert transport! This afternoon, visit the National Archaeological Museum, housing the world’s richest collection of Egyptian antiquities, including the magnificent collection of the Boy King, Tutankhamen. Visit a Papyrus Institute where the art of paper making from reeds, discovered by the Ancient Egyptians, will be demonstrated for you.
Day 4 – Nile Cruise: Luxor
Transfer to the airport with the assistance of your guide. Depart for Luxor, home to the world’s largest religious complex ever built. Transfer to your deluxe Nile River cruise ship for embarkation. Proceed to the Temple of Karnak and Temple of Luxor. The Temple of Luxor hosted the important festival of Opet, which served to transform the human aspect of Egypt’s king into a divine ruler. Overnight onboard your floating hotel in Luxor.
Day 5 – Nile Cruise: Edfu
This morning, continue to the West Bank to visit the Necropolis of Thebes. See the ancient sites contained in the Valley of the Kings, as well as Queen Hatchepsut’s Deir El Bahari Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Return to the ship and sail to Esna, crossing the lock, en route to Edfu. Edfu is known for its major Ptolemaic temple, built between 237 BC to 57 BC, into the reign of Cleopatra VII. Overnight on-board.
Day 6 – Nile Cruise: Kom Ombo
Today you will visit the Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple in Egypt, and then sail to Kom Ombo. There you will visit the Temple shared by the deities of Sobek and Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the river bank near this site. Sail on to Aswan, which stands on the east bank of the Nile and is a busy market and tourism center. Overnight onboard in Kom Ombo.
Day 7 – Nile Cruise: Aswan
Continue your tour of antiquities at the Agha Khan Mausoleum and see the unfinished Obelisk, the High Dam and the Temple of Philae. Take a felucca boat ride to Elephantine Island. Felucca sail boats are the traditional mode of transportation on the Nile. Elephantine Island is the largest of the Aswan area islands, and is one of the most ancient sites in Egypt, with artifacts dating to pre-dynastic periods. Overnight onboard in Aswan and savor a special Egyptian farewell dinner.
Day 8 – Nile Cruise: Cairo
Disembark and transfer to the Aswan airport for the flight back to Cairo. Your local guide will meet you at Cairo airport and assist with your transfer to the hotel. The balance of your day is free for leisure time or optional tours to Memphis and Sakkara. Overnight in Cairo.
Day 9 – Depart
Transfer to Cairo airport and check in for your return flight.